ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) 鈥� Researchers, documentary filmmakers and others will soon be able to get their hands on screenwriter and director papers at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.
Archivists are about a quarter of the way through cataloging the 150-plus boxes of material that document the 76-year-old filmmaker鈥檚 role in bringing to life iconic characters like and Yoda, and directing actors ranging from Geena Davis and to Morgan Freeman and Kevin Costner.
鈥淎ll I wanted to ever do was be a movie director. And so, all the details meant something to me,鈥� Kasdan said in an interview with The Associated Press. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be happier to have this mass of stuff available to anybody who is interested.鈥�
The archive includes scripts, call sheets and still photos 鈥� including a few rarities.
Before Costner became an Oscar winner and Hollywood icon, he worked various studio jobs while taking nighttime drama lessons. His break 鈥� or so he thought 鈥� came when Kasdan cast him in 1983鈥檚 鈥淭he Big Chill.鈥�
Costner played Alex, whose death brings his fellow Michigan alums together. Unfortunately his big flashback scene ended up on the cutting-room floor.
What are believed to be among the only existing photographs of the famously deleted scene are part of the Kasdan collection, now housed in Ann Arbor.
鈥淒ifferent people will be interested in different things,鈥� Kasdan said, pointing to his work writing the 鈥淩aiders of the Lost Ark鈥� screenplay as one possible destination for researchers. The archive features audio cassette recordings of Kasdan discussing the film with Steven Spielberg and . It also includes Polaroids taken of cast and crew members on the sets of his movies.
There are props, too, including a cowboy hat from the 1985 Western 鈥淪ilverado,鈥� worn by none other than Costner. Kasdan and the kid from California would work together again on 鈥淲yatt Earp鈥� in the 鈥�90s. Costner also starred in 鈥淭he Bodyguard,鈥� which Kasdan wrote.
A number of unproduced scripts also are part of the collection.
鈥淚鈥檝e always considered myself a director and a writer. And if you are really interested in any particular movie, you can follow the evolution of that movie in the archive,鈥� Kasdan said.
Library staff members are working chronologically through Kasdan鈥檚 material, meaning the papers for Kasdan鈥檚 earliest work 鈥� including 鈥淏ody Heat鈥� and 鈥淭he Big Chill,鈥� as well as the scripts for two 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� classics, 鈥淭he Empire Strikes Back鈥� and 鈥淩eturn of the Jedi鈥� 鈥� can be accessed first.
The remaining material should be completely processed by late 2026, said Phil Hallman, the curator of the collection. Hallman hopes to have Kasdan visit, perhaps next fall, to see the archive and take part in a symposium.
Kasdan鈥檚 papers are part of the University of Michigan Library鈥檚 Screen Arts Mavericks and Makers Collection, which includes , Robert Altman, Jonathan Demme, Nancy Savoca and John Sayles. Kasdan, who grew up in West Virginia and earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in 1970 and a master鈥檚 two years later, is the lone Michigan alum among the group.
鈥淭o be there, held in the same place as those wonderful directors, is really a great honor,鈥� Kasdan said.
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